Seafood buyers are being urged to boycott the fish market in Peterhead on Wednesdays in a dispute over “Draconian” new rules.
Fishing skippers are also being asked to avoid landing their catches in the Blue Toon on boycott days.
Sources told The Press and Journal there were alternative ports, such as Fraserburgh, so supplies to fish and chip shops should be unaffected.
The row was ignited by a letter from Peterhead Port Authority (PPA) chief executive Simon Brebner, who told traders new rules would come into force from the start of February.
In “background” notes seen by the P&J, PPA has warned buyers they could – after a written warning – be suspended or even banned from the fish market permanently for non-compliance.
The storm centres on the practice of bid sharing, where one buyer purchases fish at a “shout auction” on behalf of others.
An industry insider told the P&J this helped buyers get hold of fish as quickly as possible, so it can be out the door and with processors as early as possible each morning.
But PPA has branded the practice anti-competitive.
The port authority said: “PPA considers that the fair and proper operation of a shout auction process requires that each party intending to purchase fish… is acting independently and not co-operating with any other party to achieve prices at the auction which may be lower than those which would otherwise be achieved in a genuinely competitive market.”
It went on to say these bid sharing practices were a breach of competition law.
In his letter informing traders of the new rules, Mr Brebner said they were being introduced by the board “after receipt of specialist legal advice, discussion with the fish selling agents and detailed consideration.”
He added: “We hope that all stakeholders will engage constructively in ensuring compliance with the direction requirements.”
But many sellers and buyers are unhappy about the changes and insist they were not consulted. One called the new rules “Draconian”.
PPA’s statement ‘disowned’
In an email seen by the P&J and addressed to Mr Brebner, seafood industry boss Iain Stephen and Scottish Seafood Association chief executive Jimmy Buchan said: “PPA states they are introducing ‘measures which have the support of the fish selling agents’.
“This statement has been disowned by the fish selling agents, so what was written by PPA was false.”
Mr Stephen and Mr Buchan went on to claim PPA was turning a blind eye to “trotting” or “ghost bidding”, whereby prices are raised by pretending someone has bid for fish when in fact no attempt to purchase has been made, and a variety of other practices.
They added: “With the new measures PPA are introducing, the buyers could legally paralyse the salesmen and bring the while fishing industry to a stop, so I hope PPA has a back-up plan for the boats if this happens.
“PPA should concentrate on cleaning up their own act. Buyers on the fish market – ie the customers – who are being treated by PPA with little or no respect – are the people who fund the fishing industry by paying their bills weekly.
“These are the people who kept the industry going through Covid, who turn up at the market every day it is open, not just when it suits. The buyers, therefore, feel very disappointed about the accusations being put to them and totally refuse to recognise the new terms from the PPA.
“Should you go ahead with these rule changes and you ban one buyer, then you ban us all.”
‘Enormous challenges’
The email went on: “The onshore industry is facing enormous challenges this year, such as wage rises, electricity, water and gas inflation, recruitment difficulties to mention a few. The last thing we need is more obstacles, especially unnecessary and unwise changes being introduced by PPA.”
Both PPA and the SSA failed to respond to requests for comment.
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